Tag: Indie Pop

Begging Dog: Jeff Kleinman’s Gritty Tribute to Everyday Life

Begging Dog shares new single Common Place from forthcoming album. Photo: Photo By Kat Nijmeddin, used with permission.

Begging Dog: Jeff Kleinman’s Raw, Everyday Poetry Finds Its Voice

Begging Dog is the indie-punk project of Los Angeles–based artist and multi-instrumentalist Jeff Kleinman. Known for his work with Choir Boy, Kleinman created Begging Dog as an outlet for songs that embrace the mundane with a raw, homespun sound. The project leans into garage-punk grit and plain-language lyricism, capturing the poetry of everyday life. (another side, 2025)

A Demo That Sparked a Buzz

Kleinman’s debut, DEMO 1, spread quickly through underground circles. Word reached Dais Records, who soon signed Kleinman and announced a wider vinyl release of the original album.

Clocking in at just 26 minutes, DEMO 1 is packed with rolling bass and synth lines, charismatic riffs, and motorik drum beats. Sonically lean but emotionally weighty, the project showcases Kleinman’s distinctive storytelling and ear for melody.

Characters, Scenes, and Lived-In Observations

Lyrically, DEMO 1 drifts through a series of lived-in characters and scenes:

  • a pushy union rep
  • a mailman with a steady federal job
  • a compulsive gambler
  • a beloved neighborhood homeless man

Ex-lovers flicker in and out of several tracks, collaged into sharp, witty free verse. Kleinman cites Bruce Springsteen as an influence, not in genre, but in philosophy. He writes in “plain ink,” opting for direct simplicity over flowery prose.

Loneliness in Plain Sight

Much of DEMO 1 taps into a shared loneliness, universal and uniquely tied to life in Los Angeles. The title track anchors that feeling as Kleinman sings, “no one loves a begging dog.” Borrowed from a friend, the line encapsulates the project’s core: the world can make you feel like a begging dog searching for affection and security, yet there’s beauty in solitude, routine, and the quiet hum of everyday life.

From Solo Recordings to a Seven-Piece Band

Kleinman recorded DEMO 1 almost entirely on his own. But live, Begging Dog expands into a dynamic seven-piece band, giving the songs a new sense of scale and energy.

“No matter how good or not good you have it, you’re kind of like looking for something more,” Kleinman says. He stops short of assigning grand meaning to the work, maintaining a sense of humility that permeates the project. DEMO 1 thrives on this balance of candor, grit, and hook-driven songwriting.

Release Details

DEMO 1 was mixed and mastered by Matt Whitehurst. It’s currently streaming on all major platforms and will be released on vinyl via Dais Records on December 12. It is available for pre-order.

Kleinman’s latest single, “Common Place,” reflects on his five years living in Salt Lake City, another snapshot of everyday life reframed through Begging Dog’s honest, unvarnished lens.

DEMO 1 Tracklist:
01 – Begging Dog
02 – Cave In On Me
03 – Money Tree
04 – The Eel
05 – Laughing Boy
06 – Clamshell Tune
07 – Continuing Education
08 – Tell Me That You Love Me
09 – Common Place
10 – Here For A Good Time

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The Berries Return: Matthew Berry’s Most Personal Album Yet

The Berries announces forthcoming new album. Photo: Ajalena Dewolf Moura, used with permission.

The Berries Announce New Self-Titled Album — Out August 29

A Return to Form for Matthew Berry

The Berries marks a pure return to form, delivering Matthew Berry’s strongest take yet on the hallowed tradition of the guitar-wielding singer-songwriter. The LP masterfully channels the tradition’s iconic sentiments—naked Americana, chemical winds whistling over barley shafts, longing-swollen livers, and pleading romance—while infusing them with a rich melancholy that is distinctly Berry’s. (another side, 2025)

Breaking from the Past

Berry describes the record as an act of survival and rebirth:

“This record came out of a need to break from my old self, to break from a lifestyle that I could no longer bear waking up to everyday. It’s equally fueled by remorse and relief—I can rejoice a bit in having found a renewed purpose, but I had to finally stare down everything that was standing in the way of that sense of dignity first.”

Sound and Structure

Sonically, The Berries draws inspiration from a long lineage of studio-centered pop songcraft—from the comedown genius of Tusk-era Fleetwood Mac to the reverb-drenched expanses of The War on Drugs.

The album unfolds as a series of impressionistic vignettes, each track carving out its own emotional terrain rather than conforming to established genre convention.

Lead Single: Angelus

On standout track and lead single “Angelus,” Berry threads together tender vocal melodies over a sparse progression, slowly building a wall of melancholy. The song resonates with a distinctly Californian desolation—capturing the loneliness of highway overpasses and the apocalyptic brightness of staring out across the Pacific.

Evolution of The Berries

The Berries began as a bedroom project—cosmic Americana and fuzzy guitar heroics that quickly secured Berry a multi-record deal with Run for Cover Records.

Since then, Berry has explored:

  • Berryland — country-inflected balladeering
  • Throne of Ivory — distorted, stadium-sized melodrama
  • High Flying Man — Californian burnout pop

Now, with The Berries, Berry steps fully into his role as a self-made studio auteur. Written in early 2025 and recorded that summer at engineer Jimmy Dixon’s home studio, the record reflects both urgency and precision, co-produced by Berry and Dixon.

Release Details

The Berries (self-released) will be available in stores and online August 29, 2025. It is available for pre-order/pre-save.

The Berries tracklist: 

1 – Sedentary Blues
2 – Vagabond
3 – Angelus
4 – White Peach
5 – Wind Chime
6 – Run You Down
7 – Salt Of The Earth
8 – Lie In The Fire Again
9 – Something Better
10 – Seventh
Album Art/Photo By Ajalena Dewolf Moura